Home Cooked Comfort
by blakes8th
Summary: Esther meets a white knight in a rainstorm, but even Knights need comfort sometimes. A Brian/ Esther centred friendship fic with a big dollop of Strickland.


Home cooked comfort

Disclaimer; New tricks and all it's characters belong to auntie Beeb, she asked me to water them while she's away.

/

The weather man hadn't said anything about spontanious monsoons.

That was the thought that ran through Esther Lane's mind as she stood huddled under the barely adequate shelter of the bus stop. It had been a gloriously sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, which was why she had decided to leave the car at home and walk to the shop to get the few provisions she needed.

Now the choice was to get absolutely drenched, or wait for the bus as the torrential summer storm hammered against the plastic of the bus shelter. The trouble was, everybody else seemed to be waiting for the same bus, the que was huge. She sighed with relief as a bus came into sight, it pulled up and the que started to move as the bus filled. She was almost at the door when she heard the driver tell the woman in front of her,

"Sorry, full up. Next bus will be along in about twenty minutes." He shut the door and pulled away, leaving the rest of the line mumbling their complaints.

She sighed and wondered whether it wouldn't just be better to walk, when a car pulled up. She didn't recognise the black mercedes, but the window opened, and a voice called to her.

"Esther Lane?" The voice was vaguely familiar, she stooped down to see the driver.

"Oh, Mr Strickland." She recognised Brian's boss from a retirement party they had been to a few months earlier.

"Jump in. You're getting soaked. He told her."

"Oi mate, got room for me! A burly man in the que shouted, Esther looked at him, he was obviously half cut already, and he was swigging from a plastic bottle of cider, she only half believed he was joking. The drivers door opened and The DAC got out, she realised he was in his uniform and smiled softly.

"No sorry, I havn't, but if you want to wait here, I can arrange for some of my friends to come by and pick you up." He replied to the man politely, the man muttered something about leaving something in the bookies and beat a hasty retreat. Strickland opened the passenger door for Esther, taking the heavy shopping bags from her and putting them in the boot. He got back into the car and they peeled back into the traffic.

"Oh thank you. It didn't look like raining when I left home."

"I know, I've been at a meeting at the town hall, When I went in it was a glorious summer day, then I come out to a tropical storm." He smiled. "I know you live somewhere on Livingstone road. Which number am I looking for?"

"Twenty eight. But you can just drop me at the top, I don't want to put you out." She replied.

"Nonsense! I've only got a stack of paperwork waiting for me back at the station. I can take you to the door." He smiled kindly at her. She smiled back. It took about ten minutes before they pulled up outside the Lane house. The rain was still lashing down.

"I can get your shopping, you get yourself into the dry." He told her.

She opened the front door, and made her way to the kitchen, Scampi gave her a wag of his tail, but really couldn't be bothered to get out of his basket. But his ears pricked up as the unfamiliar face came through carrying several bags of food. He woofed quietly before letting out a small growl.

"Oh shush Scampi! Mr Strickland's a friend."

"Robert, please." He told her as he put the bags up on the counter.

"You'll have a cup of tea?" She asked him. He paused for a moment. She could see he was tempted.

"No, Thank you. It's kind of you to ask, but I had better get back." He replied, looking slightly flustered.

"I thought there was only paperwork waiting for you." She countered. He laughed.

"Story of my life." He quipped. "Thank you, I will have one."

The next twenty minutes were spent in friendly conversation, as Esther put her shopping away, while Robert sipped at his tea. In that time she had managed to find out about his divorce, his children, and the fact that he hated the political side of his job. As he finished he had the impression that he had been very thoroughly interrogated. He watched as she carefully put a large strawberry gataux into the fridge.

"That looks good, are you having a party?" He asked genially.

"That's just for dessert, for the meal tomorrow night." She replied, she saw the confusion on his face. "Every month I cook for the team. Sandra, Gerry and Jack all come round. It's a lovely evening. You should join us." She saw him draw away.

"That probably wouldn't work." He replied. "They have their fill of me at work. They wouldn't want me after hours as well."

"I'm sure they would't mind. PC Clark used to come, and PC Pushkar. Emily comes sometimes. It would be fine." She told him, he looked down at the floor.

"That's different. They were part of the team, I'm the big bad boss from upstairs. It would only make everyone uncomfortable. Honestly, it's fine. Thank you for the invitation anyway." He stood to leave.

Just then there was a knock at the door, Esther smiled and went to open it, she was surprised to see Jack standing there.

"Hello Esther, I've got Brian in the car, he's got into one of his moods."

"Oh no. What's happened this time?"

"We've been dealing with the case of a girl who had been thought dead, turns out that she was kidnapped , but fell in love with her kidnapper and settled down with him. She more or less ran away because her mother was an alcoholic." Jack looked apologetic. Esther sighed and closed her eyes. "He seemed alright, we sorted everything out, but then this afternoon he started on about Mark, and how he was no different to the Mother who drove her daughter away. He won't talk to us."

"You'd better bring him in." She watched as Jack went back to his car, he opened the door for Brian who heaved himself out and trudged up the path. Esther smiled at Jack. "Thank you for bringing him home, I'll talk to him."

"If you need to cancel tomorrow, we'll understand."

"Oh no! It'll do him good. He'll be fine." Esther replied. Jack nodded and bid her goodbye as he headed back to his car. Esther followed her husband indoors. "What's this all about."

"I drove Mark away." He almost shouted. "I was no different to that doctor. I was drunk at work and I was drunk at home."

"Brian. You didn't drive Mark away, he grew up and got his own life. He visits, he phones."

"Only because of you." Now he was shouting, Esther tried to calm him.

"Brian, shhh. We've got a visitor."

"Who? Your sister? She knows what a bloody lousy husband and father I was, she was always telling you to get rid of me."

"No, it's not Maureen. Your boss is here."

"Sandra? She was still at the office..."

"No, her boss. Mr Strickland."

"What the hell is he doing here?" Brians voice went up an octave. Esther shushed him.

"I went shopping earlier, got caught in the rain." She answered. "He saw me at the bus stop and gave me a lift home, he carried the shopping in for me so I made him a cup of tea."

"Stricker's?"

"Yes! Mr Strickland." She scolded.

"Oh bloody hell! I'll probably be put in front of the men in white coats." He started, but stopped as the tall uniformed figure appeared in the doorway.

"I had better go." He said softly. "Thank you again for the tea."

"It was my pleasure. Thank you for rescuing me." Esther smiled. As he drew level with the older man, Robert stopped.

"Brian, can I ask you something?" He asked. Brian nodded. "Did you ever hit your son." Brain looked shocked.

"Never!" He growled.

"Did you ever throw him into the wall so hard he fractured his cheekbone and jaw?" Brian shook his head. "Did you ever break three of his ribs by shoving him down the stairs, or deny him medical attention for the punctured lung which followed." Brian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Esther was shaken by the picture being painted. "Did you ever leave him in the care of a charletan of a doctor, who had a liking for little boys?" Robert asked, his voice raw. Brian lowered his eyes and shook his head again.

"No." He whispered, his voice quiet. Robert rested his hand on the older man's shoulder.

"Then you're a far better father than mine was." He let his hand drop, and let himself out of the front door. Esther pushed past her husband and followed the younger man to his car.

"Does anybody else know." She asked him, he shook his head.

"No, nobody. They all think I was raised with the proverbial silver spoon in my mouth. Public schoolboy and all that. Children like that don't get abused."

"Please come tomorrow." She pleaded. He smiled warmly at her.

"Thank you, but the truth is, I'm not very good in social situations. I really do appreciate the offer though."

"It's seven o/clock tomorrow night if you should change your mind." She told him. Though she could see he had no intention of doing so. He nodded his thanks and headed to his car. She watched him drive away, a sad feeling engulfed her. She had always been good at reading people, and she could tell he had been upset at his exclusion from the meal, even though he had joked about it. And the the stories of his childhood, that had shocked her. She went back inside and sat herself down on her sofa, Scampi jumped up next to her, and she absentmindedly rubbed the spaniels tummy as she pondered on the last half an hour. Brian had spoken about his boss several times, never with much affection though. In fact she could recall several times they had sat around the table, and moaned about how terrible he was, and other insults, not so pleasant. Somehow she couldn't associate that man with the gentleman who had driven her home in the rain. She looked up as he came in with two cups of tea. He set them down on the coffee table, before slumping down on the sofa next to her.

"Bloody hell." He murmured.

"You had no idea."

"No, we all thought he was a spoiled little rich kid."

"I think he's a very, very lonely man."

"What should I do?"

"Stop beating yourself up. Mark never went cold, or hungry. And he was never scared of you."

"I mean about Strickland, what should I do?"

"It's a bit late to save him from his father. You could try being a bit nicer to him. Give him a chance."

"Should I tell the others?"

"No. It's not your story to tell. But you could try and get him to come for dinner tomorrow."

"I'll try love. I'll try."

/

The next morning, Brian found himself at the office early. He was on his way up to Strickland's office. He had things he needed to say. He got to the polished woden door and knocked softly.

"Come in." The response came. He turned the handle and went inside, closing the door behind him. Robert sat at his desk, he looked up as Brian entered. Brian thought it may be his imagination, but the man looked nervous.

"Morning Sir. I just wanted to say thank you for yesterday. For rescuing Esther from the rain, and for putting things into perspective for me."

"You're welcome." The clipped voice was soft, and slightly shakey.

"I won't tell anyone what you told me. But I have a question." Robert nodded. "When did it start, and how long did you suffer?"

"That's two questions." Robert quipped, but he sighed. "I can't remember a time before it started, my earliest memory of a beating, I was about four."

"Four! You were just a babe. How could anyone do that?" He took a deep breath. "When did it stop?"

"Doctor Carter stopped paying his nightly visits when I was about twelve. I got to old for him." Brian closed his eyes in horror.

"What about the beatings, when did they stop?"

"When I ran away, aged seventeen. I havn't seen my father since then."

"I'm so sorry." Robert looked up in shock.

"You've nothing to be sorry for."

"I'm sorry nobody saw, nobody helped. And I'm sorry none of us noticed. Gerry and me, we both worked in the paedo unit, we're supposed to be good at spotting abuse cases, yet we've worked with you for years, and never saw. We never saw you at all." He watched the younger man pushing down his emotions. "I don't know if it helps, but if you were my son, I'd be as proud as a peacock." Robert looked up and smiled.

"Thank you, that means a lot."

"Come to dinner tonight. It would mean a lot to Esther and me."

"The others won't be pleased."

"That's my concern. So will you come."

"I'd love to."

/

Author's note: This one has been written for a while, but after this weeks episode, it demanded to be posted. I had to edited a bit, so apologies if it's a little bit disjointed. I may return to this storyline in the future. S


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